Guwahati, July 1: While ONGC has been praised for successfully capping the high-pressure gas blowout at Well 147A in Sivasagar district, questions are mounting over its silence on compensating over 330 displaced families who were forced to evacuate their homes for two weeks.
The All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA), a forum of graduate engineers from northeast India, has urged the state-run Maharatna company to immediately declare a compensation package for the affected villagers near the Rudrasagar oilfield. Despite the technical success, the association argues, ONGC has yet to show accountability to the people impacted by the incident.
The gas blowout occurred during service operations on June 12, when natural gas suddenly erupted from Well RDS#147A. ONGC’s crisis management team, along with three international well-control experts, managed to cap the well after 16 days of continuous effort, completing the operation on June 27.
ONGC’s official statement described the operation as a model of engineering precision and safety, noting there were no injuries or fires and that updates were shared daily with stakeholders. The company also emphasized its commitment to environmental responsibility and operational excellence.
However, AAEA questioned ONGC’s prolonged silence on compensation. “How many days does ONGC need to announce relief for families who had to flee their homes?” asked AAEA president Er Kailash Sarma, along with working president Er Nava J Thakuria and secretary Er Inamul Hye. They pointed out that the displaced families have been in limbo since mid-June, surviving in relief camps.
On June 16, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the affected site and announced ₹25,000 in interim relief from the CM’s Relief Fund to each family. He also held discussions with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and ONGC chairman Arun Kumar Singh, who reportedly promised that ONGC would provide adequate compensation.
But the company has not made any public statement about fulfilling that promise. The AAEA raised suspicions about whether the delay is linked to the involvement of a private contractor, SK Petro Services, in managing the well. The group questioned if ONGC is avoiding responsibility because of the contractor’s role or if there were lapses in how the well was classified and operated.
AAEA urged ONGC to clarify its position and deliver timely compensation, stressing that technical success must go hand in hand with social accountability.
